Emperor Jiaqing reigned for twenty-five years. During these twenty-five years, the Qing Dynasty began a long period of mid-decline through the splendor of . Even if Emperor Jiaqing tried his best to turn the tide, and tried his best to hold the downhill Qing Dynasty, it was a pity that his power could not turn the front of history. So he passed away with regret, and Emperor Jiaqing passed away suddenly in the Mulan Paddock of .
Because of the sudden incident, the palace people were panicked, and the ministers were at a loss. For the emperor's sudden death, there were different opinions for a while, but no one could give a specific conclusion. It is not until today that the mystery of Jiaqing's sudden death is revealed, that the Emperor Jiaqing was not struck to death by lightning, but what was the real cause of death?
1. The rain is coming
In 1820, which is the 25th year of Jiaqing, Emperor Jiaqing decided to travel from Beijing to Chengde Mountain Resort, Hebei, to start hunting in autumn. Emperor Jiaqing set off with his favorite son Min Ning, the Minister of Military Aircraft, the Minister of Military Affairs, and a mighty group of people. The emperor was brave and brave, and he was ready to go, but he didn't expect this time to be his last hunt.
On the way to the Mountain Resort, the emperor was no longer as energetic as he had just set off. He kept his eyes closed, sometimes meditating and sleeping lightly, and rarely walked. When passing by the famous scenic spot Guangrenling, looking at the surrounding lush woods and quiet and deep canyons, Emperor Jiaqing felt refreshed and suddenly came to play.
After the Jiaqing Emperor visited the Chenghuang Temple , he wanted to change to the fast horse to relax his muscles. In the evening, Emperor Jiaqing came to the Mountain Resort. At this time, facing the beautiful scenery in front of him, he seemed to forget his physical discomfort. So he refused the request of the attendants to let him rest, and after some arrangements, Emperor Jiaqing got his wish at Cema Villa.
But at night, he felt a little uncomfortable. At first he thought it was caused by not riding a horse for a long time, so he didn't take it seriously. According to historical records, the emperor's body sent out a call for help at this time, because his hands had a strong tingling sensation, and his body was weak, his chest was suffocated, his phlegm was up, and it became difficult to breathe while lying down.
The emperor was so tired, he just seemed to be asleep, and survived until dawn. The next day, people saw the emperor’s face become swollen due to lack of rest. At the same time, his face was pale and breathing was difficult, and he could no longer get out of bed by himself in the morning.
But the situation at this time is still relatively optimistic. The entourage just thinks that the emperor is old and feels uncomfortable with the fatigue of the boats and cars. They will recover after a few days in the bedroom. But at noon, the emperor suddenly felt dizzy, had difficulty breathing, and spoke slurred. After preliminary inferences by the imperial physicians, they believed that the Emperor Jiaqing was probably suffering from heat stroke.
After the maids waited on the emperor to take the medicine, it improved slightly, and everyone was relieved. But no one thought that at a later date, Emperor Jiaqing, who was lying on the bed with his eyes closed, suddenly wanted to struggle to sit up, and there was a sound in his mouth, as if he wanted to talk. But he is short of breath, is out of breath , unable to speak at all.
Min Ning, who received the news, rushed to Xi Nuan Pavilion non-stop, but was still a step late. At this time, Emperor Jiaqing had only air intake, no venting, let alone asking him to speak. Minning anxiously yelled "Father Emperor" several times. At this time, the emperor had no hearing.
At this time, a strong light flashed across, and then a lightning strike hit the smoke wave refreshing hall . When people were still in shock, some people discovered that the Emperor Jiaqing had died. So such an emperor who worked his whole life but had no merits passed away without any forewarning.
Second, the fog is heavy
Due to the sudden incident and the age, there are different opinions about the cause of the emperor’s death. A widely circulated saying is that the emperor died when he was struck by thunder while riding a horse. In addition to the death from the thunderstrike while riding a horse, there is an even more absurd saying that is a catastrophe from heaven.
According to legend, the emperor has always loved a little eunuch for a long time. After arriving at the villa, they became even more vigorous, often avoiding the crowd and meeting in private. So when they had a private meeting in the emperor's bedroom, God also felt that the emperor's actions were inappropriate, and condemned the emperor to Jiaqing.
shot down a series of lightning, smashed into the emperor's palace, and a small fireball flew in just to explode on the Jiaqing emperor, the emperor was immediately killed when he was punished by heaven. The emperor was burned beyond recognition, he could no longer be engulfed, and the ministers could not explain to the people of the world with such a tragic situation. If exposes the facts, this will be the biggest scandal in history.
So they agreed to hang an eunuch who resembles the emperor secretly and dress up, then put them in the coffin at the same time, the real emperor is below, the fake emperor is on top, and they are transported back to the capital. Carry out a burial. Although the statement is widely circulated, it has no historical basis.
The claim of being struck by lightning is even more nonsense. It is just a rumor from some people. Actually, according to the actual situation at the time, the cause of death of Emperor Jiaqing was probably due to overwork, myocardial infarction and died. Because he has had a huge mess since he became the throne.
Third, the decline of the national movement
Before the Jiaqing Emperor, it was the famous Kang and Qian dynasty in history. However, at the end of Qianlong, the national fortune began to decline, and many drawbacks were left behind. The whole life of Emperor Jiaqing was to purge Gangji for Qianlong. In the last years of Qianlong, the power minister was in power, and his words were blocked.
The Emperor Jiaqing had to encourage everyone to open their mouths and actively give their opinions to the Emperor. To this end, Jiaqing also deliberately reactivated some ministers who were convicted of improper speech during the Qianlong period. In the late Qianlong period, government officials were corrupted and corruption was serious.
Although Qianlong abdicated at this time, it was not until the death of Qianlong in the first month of the fourth year of Jiaqing that the Emperor Jiaqing could officially use his power as the emperor. With the accumulation of problems, the Qing dynasty naturally made it difficult to turn around.
Domestic peasant uprisings, coupled with many affairs such as a feast in Qianlong's later years, directly led to the empty treasury of the Qing Dynasty, and sometimes even the financial appropriation was not available. Therefore, Emperor Jiaqing could only govern in pain and confusion, because the situation at this time did not allow him to exert his talents alone.
But he is still diligent in government affairs, and he is a good emperor who works hard. He from morning till night,He didn't even relax for a day. According to official history, he was still busy correcting official documents and summoning ministers until the day before his death.
IV. Summary
The historian Zhang Hongjie once said that “it was under the reign of Emperor Jiaqing that the Qing dynasty completed the key steps towards an irreversible decline.” If Emperor Jiaqing is with his ancestors Compared with the talents of his fathers, his political achievements are indeed relatively mediocre. Because he himself is also a relatively plain personality, unlike his ancestors with lofty talents.
But he also has a deep sense of responsibility for his country, which drives him to work tirelessly. On the one hand, due to the serious problems of the Qianlong period, and on the other hand, because of his limited talents, the Emperor Jiaqing was forced to become a transitioner from the "Emperor of Kangxi and Qianlong" to "The decline of Dao and Xian Dynasty".
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